CAIRO: Order in the courtroom was lost on Monday when shoes and fists starting flying across the audotoruim where Egypt's ousted President Hosni Mubarak is standing trial. During the lengthy third session, which went well into the evening, of the historical trial, a pro-Mubarak woman held his picture high in support, provoking the families of those who were killed during the January 25 revolution and clashes erupted. The clashes, which were soon contained, caused the case to be adjourned until Wednesday so the court could listen to the fourth witness. Only three witnesses were heard in a session that lasted until nearly 11 PM Cairo time. Outside the Police Academy where Mubarak is being tried with his two sons, Alaa and Gamal, his former minister of interior Habib al-Adly and 6 of his top aides, supports of Mubarak and anti-Mubarak protesters were a lively bunch, chanting back and forth for much of the day. The defendants are facing charges of giving orders of killing protesters and corruption charges, although the two Mubarak sons are only charged with corruption. During the 18 days of protests, Egyptian security forces killed at least 1,000 people using live ammunition, attackers and snipers. Outside the courtroom, a number of injuries occurred after a number of people reportedly hurled rocks at police and soldiers threw back at the crowd. The scene outside the court was once again divided into families of the dead and pro-Mubarak crowd and both sides held signs, but clashes only erupted when the pro-Mubarak crowd tried to attack some family members of those killed in the uprising. Eyewitnesses reported that security used force to stop the clashes and one of the father's of the deceased was dragged on the ground by two police officers for meters before being arrested. The father of Mohamed Soliman had been chanting, calling for justice right before he was attacked by the officers. Clashes also erupted outside the courtroom during the past two sessions and many were injured or arrested. BM
